fabio lopez creates 100 pictograms for mini rio tribute project

fabio lopez creates 100 pictograms for mini rio tribute project
all images courtesy of fabio lopez

‘mini rio’ is the personal project of brazilian designer fabio lopez. developed over two years on individual initative, the work is an extensive collection of pictograms and illustrations that serve to celebrate and visually represent rio de janeiro’s diverse cultural heritage. in total, the ensemble of images is over 100, each of which is drawn from lopez’s own interpretations of his surroundings.

content research

the project is not simply an idyllic presentation of the city; lopez himself admits that rio is ‘no bed of roses’, and problems are presented side by side with beauty. topics are subdivided into specific categories including tourist attractions, culture (music, arts, museums, monuments traditions), lifestyle (behavior, habits, sports), everyday (objects, services, urban equipment), nature (fauna, flora, landscape), and other issues. some have obvious overlaps, and their final presentation reflects lopez’s view. ‘mini rio’ is equal parts tribute and graphic design exercise, and offers views an amusing tour through the cidade maravilhosa. 

visual grammar and project overview

legibility tests and typography

mini pictograms and visual laboratory

landscape and fauna

weapons, beans, and tropical patterns 

urban landscape and characters 

rainforest, samba drums, and beach day patterns 

the first expansion set for the project 

characters and humming bird pattern

‘mini rio’ by fabio lopez

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions  feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom